All's Fair in Love and War
by Padma88
Summary: This is Ron and Hermione's journey from adversaries to friends to lovers as they navigate the increasing stakes of both their tumultuous relationship and their role in the fate of the wizarding world. If you want a deep interpretation of all the humor, angst, love, lust, and growth shared between these two throughout the seven books, this story is for you! Note: rated T for now.


A/N: *taps mic* Is this on? Do people still read HP fanfic? Do people even care about Ron and Hermione anymore?

**A little bit about me in case the one person reading this is wondering:** I was a Potter-obsessed teenager that was really into R/Hr fanfiction back in the day (more reading than writing). Then I became an adult and my obsession with Harry Potter ebbed and flowed, along with the rest of the world's. But Ron and Hermione always had a special place in my heart and every time I reread the series, I couldn't help but try to work out my headcanon of their rich and complicated love story.

In the past year, my passion for Potter rekindled when I started reading the series with my husband, who used to scoff at the series but now is totally hooked. As we read Potter while dealing with the natural highs and lows of two intense people in a committed relationship, I had an insane realization: our whole dynamic _is _Ron and Hermione.

So now, I am no longer content with just imagining my Ron and Hermione headcanon; I wanted to write it out and give it full and complete justice because somehow, for me, this became about much more than just a really strange obsession about two fictional characters.

This is my take on what _really_ happened between Ron and Hermione over the course of the series. I'm mainly writing this for myself but what's the point of creating if you don't share it with the world? So, if there's anyone who happens across this story and likes it—or is even just intrigued by it—I would really love your honest thoughts in the form of a review!

Thanks and enjoy!

* * *

Hermione Granger was the most insufferable person Ronald Weasley had the displeasure of meeting.

_How is it possible that someone could be so annoying?_ Ron thought as he packed up his belongings at top speed so that he could get away from her as fast as humanly possible. He could feel her huge, stupid brown eyes on him as he joined Harry, who was waiting by the door.

They had just finished Charms class and Ron had the misfortune of being partnered with Hermione to practice the levitation charm. There was no denying it: Hermione is brilliant. She always knows the answers to the professors' questions and she is always the first one to get spells and potions right. And although he would never in a million years admit it to her face, it is quite impressive that she is so good at magic considering that she didn't grow up around it.

But she is such a snobby show-off! It's so obvious that she thinks she's better than everyone else and she likes to make everyone look stupid. And ever since she had first met Ron on the train, she seemed to take extra pleasure in making Ron look stupid.

_It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long._ Just thinking about her stupid, swotty voice and that stupid smug look she gave him when she made her feather levitate made his blood boil.

"It's no wonder no one can stand her," he said to Harry as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "she's a nightmare, honestly."

Suddenly, someone knocked into Harry as they hurried past him. A someone with really bushy hair and a bag that was bursting with books. He gulped. It was Hermione. Did she hear what he had just said?

"I think she heard you," confirmed Harry with worry.

"So?" said Ron. "She must've noticed she's got no friends."

But Ron started to feel distinctly bad for Hermione. He sometimes got the crazy impression that she actually wanted to be friends with them. She was always listening in on their conversations and giving them her opinion whether they liked it or not (they never liked it, of course). If she had just dropped the bossy, know-it-all attitude, he might even consider being her friend.

But as they entered the dining hall for the Halloween feast, all thoughts about Hermione were temporarily wiped from Ron's mind…

* * *

Ronald Weasley was the most insufferable person Hermione Granger had the displeasure of meeting.

_How is it possible that someone could be so rude?_ Hermione thought as she pushed her way through a crowded corridor, hoping no one would notice her crying.

He had absolutely no reason to call her a nightmare. He was only upset that she knew the spell and he didn't. She was only trying to be helpful after all!

She pushed open the door to the girls' bathroom and came face-to-face with Parvati Patil, who was fixing her hair in the mirror. Parvati gaped at Hermione's tear-stained face.

Rather than acknowledge Parvati, Hermione went straight into a stall and locked the door behind her.

"Hermione? Are you alright?"

Hermione could have laughed if she didn't feel so wretched. Parvati Patil, asking if she was alright? Parvati and her best friend Lavender Brown—and Hermione's only roommates—were exactly like the girly, popular girls that Hermione absolutely _despised_ at her primary school. At their best, they barely talked to Hermione, and at their worst, they loudly whispered snide comments about Hermione in her presence. It infuriated her to see Parvati feigning concern. Since when did Parvati ever show that she cared about Hermione's well-being?

"Just leave me alone, Parvati."

There was a long moment of silence followed by the unmistakable swing of the bathroom door. Hermione sat down on the toilet as a wave of tears came over her.

Ron was right — there was no use denying it. She _didn't _have any friends. Since Hermione could remember, she always had trouble connecting with people her own age and it was not just because strange things had always seemed to happen around her. She couldn't connect with them intellectually, preferring to build friendly relationships with her librarians or teachers. But Hermione knew that adults could never give her the close friendships that she truly craved. She needed friendships with her peers, which Hermione understood to be crucial for childhood psychosocial development (at least, according to _From "Mummy, I Love You" to "You're Ruining My Life": Developmental Psychology and Childrearing_, a book Hermione consulted from her mother's personal library one day when researching why friends were important in the first place).

When Hermione discovered that she was a witch and that she would have the opportunity to study with other witches and wizards, she hoped that by having more in common with her magical peers, she could finally make some real friends. But upon meeting other students on the train to Hogwarts, she realized bitterly that they were no different from the students from her old school. The only person who was truly nice to her was Neville Longbottom and that was only because she helped him look for his toad. Harry Potter wasn't so bad to her either and she sort of hoped that they could become friends. For one, she was fascinated by his story. For another, they both grew up in the muggle world, after all, and therefore would have a lot more in common with each other than with other students. But, of course, Harry Potter had to become best friends with stupid Ron Weasley, who clearly hated Hermione from the beginning. So, of course, Harry started to hate her as well, no matter how much she tried to help them both stay out of trouble.

Fresh tears leaked from Hermione's eyes. She yanked some toilet paper from the receptacle next to her and blew her nose. So, this is what her existence has been reduced to. Hiding in a dank, smelly toilet stall to avoid being hurt by anyone else. She wished she never existed at all.

A few hours later, it seemed that Hermione had gotten her wish.

As Hermione continued to contemplate her miserable existence, the bathroom door crashed open, pulling Hermione suddenly out of her thoughts. As Hermione wondered (or perhaps hoped?) if Parvati came back to check on her, a truly horrific smell filled her nose. Trying not to vomit, Hermione fumbled at the latch of the door, looking for escape. Hermione pushed the door open, fell out of her stall...and felt her stomach drop to the floor. The only escape was currently blocked by a gigantic, towering troll with a bat.

Hermione screamed. The troll slowly began to advance on her, its gigantic bat screeching on the floor behind it. Hermione walked backwards in panic until she felt nothing but a hard, cold wall. The deafening screech of the bat was clearly the sound of her death. This was it. Hermione closed her eyes and hoped with all her being that it would be quick and painless...

"Confuse it!" yelled a voice suddenly. A metallic clang reverberated throughout the bathroom. Hardly daring to believe she was still standing there, unharmed, Hermione cracked open an eye. Of all the people she would have expected to see as her savior, Ronald Weasley was the last person on the list.

But there he was, his flaming red hair as clear as day as he stooped over to grab a pipe in front of him. "Oi, pea brain!" he yelled, throwing the pipe at the beast. The troll slowly began to turn towards Ron, whose face promptly lost the little color it still had.

Hermione felt someone grab at her hand. "Come on, run, run!" said a voice but Hermione was incapable of moving, incapable of tearing her eyes off the troll. It was now advancing toward Ron, who was as frozen as Hermione was.

She felt the person drop her hand and run toward the troll. He launched himself onto the troll's back and hung to it as the troll tried shaking him off, howling.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" she heard Ron shout. The troll's club shot out of its massive hand, rose over its head, and knocked it out. The boy on the troll's back was shakily getting to his feet. It finally registered to Hermione that it was Harry.

Hermione somehow managed to find her voice. "Is it...dead?"

"Don't think so," replied Harry, panting. "I think it's just been knocked out."

Hermione looked around to find Ron staring at the troll with his wand still raised in the air. Harry muttered something that Hermione didn't catch. As if he sensed Hermione's eyes on him, Ron lifted his gaze and the two simply stared at each other, unsure how to process what just had happened.

The door to the bathroom banged open again. As Professors McGonagall, Snape, and Quirrell ran in, Hermione dimly registered that the situation had gotten quite worse, which was saying something.

McGonagall demanded answers. Harry and Ron seemed unable to speak, but the gears in Hermione's brain began to function again. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley had just saved her life. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, two people who—Hermione had been convinced—hated her. Ron especially. In fact, she never would have been in this bathroom in the first place if it weren't for Ron's hatred of her. Yet, the fact remains that he and Harry were the reason why she wasn't currently pounded into the marble floor. The least she could do is make sure that they got into the least amount of trouble possible.

"Please, Professor McGonagall...they were looking for me."

Hermione concocted a story in which she was the one looking for the troll so that the professors wouldn't learn about Ron's behavior. Upon hearing this story, Harry's mouth fell open and Ron dropped his wand. Their reactions gave Hermione a strange confidence. Straightening her back and holding her head higher, she told the rest of the story as it had happened.

McGonagall admonished Hermione, taking five points from Gryffindor before dismissing her. At that point, Hermione had become freshly aware of the troll's stench and needed no reminder to leave. Eager to get away from the site of her near death, she ran all the way to Gryffindor Tower. She easily ran through deserted corridors, past galleries of suits armor. She hopped over trick steps and dodged water balloons thrown by Peeves. At last she found herself outside of the portrait hole, catching her breath.

As soon as Hermione was able to breathe again, she began to laugh. Deep, hysterical, uncontrollable giggles that made her stomach hurt. Every laugh-induced cramp was like a beautiful reminder of life. Losing five points for Gryffindor seemed like the greatest gift now when it would have been Hermione's greatest nightmare mere hours earlier. Reflecting on this irony, Hermione was consumed by another wave of laughter.

"Are you going to give me the password?" interrupted the Fat Lady. "Or would you rather cackle like a mad person for another ten minutes?"

"Sorry!" choked Hermione between laughs. "Pig snout."

Hermione entered the common room to see Gryffindors enjoying what remained of the Halloween feast. She considered grabbing a plate herself when she remembered that Harry and Ron should be coming back. She decided to wait by the door. They deserved a proper thanks after all.

Hermione wrung her hands nervously. Moments later, the portrait hole opened and Harry and Ron entered. They stopped at the sight of Hermione and then looked at each other. Hermione looked at the floor and took a deep breath.

"Thanks," all three mumbled in unison before looking back up in surprise. No one was sure what to say until Harry spoke up.

"Shall we get plates?"

"Yeah," said Ron, relieved. He turned towards the food before realizing that Hermione hadn't moved a muscle.

"Her-Hermione?" he asked, nervously.

"Yes, okay," she replied breathlessly, relieved to be invited.

As soon as they all got their plates, Harry and Ron led the way to the few seats that remained empty. Hermione followed them hesitantly. They ate in uncomfortable silence until that time, Ron was the one who found something to say.

"Blimey, how awful was that smell?"

The three looked at each other before bursting into laughter. Harry was doubled over, Ron rolled around in his armchair, and Hermione clutched her armrest in a futile effort to steady herself. People started staring at them, but it didn't matter. They were alive. They were _alive. _They knocked out a full-grown mountain troll and lived to tell the tale!

As Ron wiped tears from his eyes, he realized that this was the first time he had seen Hermione laugh. It relieved him to know that she had a sense of humor after all.

They spent the next half hour speculating how a troll got in the castle in the first place. Hermione started reciting everything she knew about trolls in Scotland before stopping upon seeing the glazed look on Ron and Harry's faces, even though they hastened to assure her that the information was interesting. Hermione then asked them how they found out about the troll in the first place. Ron jumped up and did an impression of Quirrell entering the great hall and fainting that made Harry and Hermione laugh. But as Ron began to recount when they went looking for Hermione, her resolutely avoided Hermione's eye. Hermione fixated on her hands. Harry looked worriedly between the two of them. The bond the three of them had been building quickly gave way to not-so-distant tensions hovering unpleasantly over them like Snape evaluating their attempts in Potions class.

Fortunately, they were saved by McGonagall's magically-magnified voice announcing that the troll had been disposed of and that students were able to move about the castle freely the following morning. The common room erupted into cheers and applause. Harry, Ron, and Hermione grinned at each other sheepishly before whooping and hollering with the rest.

To make matters better, Nearly Headless Nick soared over to them moments later and announced loudly that he couldn't believe three first-years were capable of taking on a mountain troll. Naturally, this captured the interest of the rest of the common room and the trio spent the rest of the night regaling their fellow Gryffindors with a semi-improvised story of how the three of them went looking for the troll and came out alive thanks to Hermione's smarts and Ron and Harry's nerve.

"You know," said Harry, grinning from ear-to-ear, as the last members of their audience left, "now that we got out of there alive, I wouldn't mind another adventure. What do you reckon?"

Ron said, "Yeah!" at the same time Hermione exclaimed, "Absolutely not!"

"Aw, come on!" said Ron to Hermione. "You've been with us on every adventure so far! Maybe we can take another swing at the three-headed dog and find out what's under that trap door, eh, Hermione?"

"I can't believe you two," said Hermione, shaking her head. Nevertheless, she smiled. It felt good to know that she already had history with these boys, with whom, she could now freely admit to herself, she had wanted to be a part of their circle from the very beginning. "We just nearly got killed. How could you possibly be thinking of having another dangerous adventure?"

Harry and Ron looked at each other. Before Hermione could worry that she had said the wrong thing, they looked back at her, shrugging with identical grins.

"Well, count me out of the next one," she said.

"I thought you were in Gryffindor for a reason, Hermione," said Ron, shaking his head. Then, he glanced at her worriedly, hoping he didn't hurt her feelings.

"There's a difference between being brave and being stupid, Ron," she retorted haughtily.

Ron grinned, understanding that she wasn't actually upset. "Fair point."

Harry yawned. "Lucky we don't have homework for tomorrow."

"I bet Hermione doesn't agree," said Ron, chancing another opportunity to tease her. He glanced at Hermione once more, this time with a mix of caution and mischief.

Hermione gave a self-conscious smile, blushing faintly, but not entirely from embarrassment. This was no longer the mean-spirited jibe Ron used to throw at Hermione. This was the playful teasing amongst friends that Hermione read about in her mother's psychology book. It had to be. Hadn't it?

"I think I'll go to bed now," said Harry, getting up and stretching. "What about you, Ron?"

Ron's glanced at Hermione once more before telling Harry to go on, that he'd join in a few minutes. Harry looked between him and Hermione, looking bemused. Ron knew how it must have looked to Harry that he preferred to sit alone with Hermione Granger, of all people, than come up to the boy's dormitory with him. But Ron needed to clear his conscience. As Harry bade goodnight to the two of them, Ron steeled himself to say the words he needed to say.

"Erm, Hermione?"

Hermione, who was watching Harry go, looked at Ron questioningly.

"I just wanted to, er, say thanks again, er, for lying to McGonagall like that. You, er, you didn't have to, you know..."

"I wanted to," she whispered.

Ron felt his heart constrict. "Look, I'm, er…" He paused. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier," he mumbled, ears turning red. "Y'know, for calling you a…"

"It's okay," said Hermione hurriedly, not keen to hear the insult again. She hesitated, knowing she owed him an apology as well. "And I...I'm sorry, too, I guess. I know I was...being annoying, showing off in class. I just…"

"You just what?"

Hermione took a deep breath. "I've always been different. I don't remember a time in my life when the other school children didn't make fun of me for being different. I suppose being the best in class was the only way I learned how to make myself feel better. I thought things would maybe be better, coming to Hogwarts, but..." she trailed off looking at her feet. She had never admitted this to anyone before.

Indeed, for Ron, it was the first time he saw Hermione ever be vulnerable. He felt sympathy bubble up within him. "Things are better," he said seriously. "You have Harry and me now."

Hermione looked up at him with unabashed gratitude. It made Ron slightly uncomfortable, so he added, "But just so you know, as your friends, we're allowed to tell you when you're being annoying."

Hermione eyes narrowed. "So does that mean I can tell you when _you're_ being annoying?"

"Nope, that only works one way."

Hermione furrowed her eyebrows and opened her mouth in angry confusion. Ron started laughing. Her scowl deepened.

"Relax," said Ron, holding out a hand hastily. "I'm just joking." He then smirked and put his hands behind his head. "You can tell me when I'm being annoying, too, but I can't promise that I won't respond by being even _more_ annoying."

Hermione opened her mouth once more before cottoning on. "That was stupid another joke, wasn't it?"

"Now you're catching on," he said, still grinning. "I suppose they don't call you Kn...Brainy Hermione for nothing."

Hermione felt a slight sting. She knew he was about to say "know-it-all Hermione," her nickname amongst the first year Gryffindors. In fact, she always had the sneaky suspicion that Ron was the one who invented it. But that was the past, Hermione reminded herself firmly. And although it seemed unfathomable that one of her first real friends would be Ron Weasley, he was her friend now. He said so himself. And that was all that truly mattered.

"I, er, suppose I should head to bed. Er, goodnight," said Ron awkwardly, turning towards the boy's dormitories. Then, he had a sudden thought and turned back. "You want to meet us here tomorrow before breakfast? Say, 'round eight?"

Hermione nodded, feeling incredibly light. She had never made plans to meet anyone before.

"Ron?" she said before he could turn around again.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks again for saving me from the troll."

"Oh well," he said, rubbing the back of his neck and turning red once more. "It was really all thanks to you for helping me with that spell."

"What are friends for?" said Hermione with a broad grin. An infectious grin, full of life. As Ron contemplated his very unexpected new friend, he couldn't help but return it.


End file.
